About 250 million 9-1-1 calls are made each year in the United States. Over 65% of all 9-1-1 calls originate from mobile phones, and that percentage is expected to increase as more households eliminate their landline phones. Further, additional modes of communication with 9-1-1 emergency centers are emerging such as text messaging and instant messaging (IM). 9-1-1 communications, referred to generically as “calls” regardless of the mode of communication, are routed to an appropriate public safety access point (PSAP) based on the caller's location. For instance, a 9-1-1 call from a mobile phone is routed to the appropriate PSAP based on the location of the mobile device as reported by its wireless service provider. In addition to connecting the emergency call to the dispatch center, 9-1-1 systems also provide the mobile phone caller's Automatic Number Identifier (ANI) and the cell tower location (or more accurate location information if available). Wireline (i.e., landline) calls are routed using the caller's ANI. The address associated with the wireline phone number is also presented to the dispatch center by using the ANI to query the Automatic Location Information (ALI) database maintained by telephone companies and/or 9-1-1 service providers.
The Caller Location Information (CLI) provided to the PSAP is normally integrated into any one of a number of computer systems, providing the operator with an onscreen display of the information returned by the ALI response. For wireline enhanced 9-1-1 (E9-1-1) calls, the caller's location is displayed as an address. For wireless E9-1-1 calls, the caller's location is presented as a set of coordinates reflecting an estimated location of the caller, sometimes also translated into the nearest dispatchable address. Not all PSAPs have both wireline and wireless E9-1-1 systems.
In the context of this disclosure, a “call” includes not only traditional wireline and wireless calls but also other forms of communication such as text messaging or instant messaging. The “caller” is anyone communicating with the PSAP via any supported communication method.
Some solutions deployed on current 9-1-1 infrastructure support displaying some level of personal information associated with either a ANI or fixed address. For instance, typical fields may include a caller's disabilities or hazards known to exist at a particular address, such as structural hazards, chemicals on site, or fire dangers (e.g., oxygen tanks) present at the address. Systems capable of providing such information are generally tied to a specific PSAP system or location and do not allow input or updating of information directly by citizens.